CAP476: Data Communiction and
Networking
Unit-I: Data Communications
Dr. Manoj Sindhwani
Lovely Professional University
Computer Networks
A computer network, often simply
referred to as a network, is a
collection of computers and
devices interconnected by
communications channels that
facilitate communications and
allows sharing of resources and
information among
interconnected devices.
Data Communication
⚫ Data Communications is the transfer of
data or information between a source and
a receiver. The source transmits the data
and the receiver receives it.
⚫ The actual generation of the information is
not part of Data Communications nor is
the resulting action of the information at
the receiver.
⚫ Actual Data Communication is referred to
the transfer of data, the method of transfer
and the preservation of the data during the
transfer process.
Effectiveness of Data
Communication
The effectiveness of a data
communication system depends on the
three fundamental characteristics:
1. Delivery: The System must deliver data to the
correct destination. Data must be received by the
intended device or user and only by that device
or user
2. Accuracy: The system must deliver data
accurately. Data that have been altered in
transmission and left uncorrected are rustles
3. Timeliness: The system must deliver data in a
timely manner. Data delivered late are useless. In
the case of video, audio, and voice data, timely
delivery means delivering data as they are
produced, in the same order that they are
Components of Data Communication
System
The following are the basic requirements for
working of a communication system.
1. The sender (source) who creates the message
to be transmitted
2. A medium that carries the message
3. The receiver (sink) who receives the message
1. Message: A message in its most general
meaning is an object of communication. It is a
vessel which provides information. Yet, it can
also be this information.
Therefore, its meaning is dependent upon the context in
which it is used; the term may apply to both the
information and its form.
2. Sender: The sender will have some kind of
meaning she wishes to convey to the receiver. It
might not be conscious knowledge, it might be
a sub-conscious wish for communication.
What is desired to be communicated would be some kind of
idea, perception, feeling, or datum. It will be a part of her
reality that she wishes to send to somebody else.
3. Receiver: These messages are delivered to
another party.
4. Medium: Medium is a means used to
exchange/transmit the message.
The sender must choose an appropriate medium for
transmitting the message else the message might not be
conveyed to the desired recipients. The choice of
appropriate medium of communication is essential for
making the message effective and correctly interpreted by
the recipient. This choice of communication medium varies
depending upon the features of communication.
5. Protocol: A protocol is a formal description of
digital message formats and the rules for
exchanging those messages in or between
computing systems and in telecommunications.
Protocols may include signalling, authentication and error
detection and correction syntax, semantics, and
synchronization of communication and may be
implemented in hardware or software, or both.
6. Feedback: Feedback is the main component of
Data Representation
Information shared on the networks are of
different forms represented by various codes
such as ASCII, EBCDIC, BCD etc.
⚫ Text: In data communications, text is
represented as a bit pattern, a sequence of
bits (0s or 1s). Different sets of bit patterns
have been designed to represent text
symbols. Each set is called a code, and the
process of representing symbols is called
coding.
⚫ Numbers: Numbers are also represented by
bit patterns. However, a code such as ASCII
is not used to represent numbers; the
⚫ Images: Images are also represented by bit
patterns. In its simplest form, an image is
composed of a matrix of pixels (picture
elements), where each pixel is a small dot.
The size of the pixel depends on the
resolution.
⚫ Audio: Audio refers to the recording or
broadcasting of sound or music. Audio is by
nature different from text, numbers, or
images. It is continuous, not discrete.
⚫ Video: Video refers to the recording or
broadcasting of a picture or movie. Video
can either be produced as a continuous
entity (e.g., by a TV camera), or it can be a
Data Flow (Transmission Modes)
The flow of data on a communications
channel between two machines can occur in
several different ways known as transmission
modes. The data flow or transmission is
characterized by following characteristics:
⚫ Direction of the exchanges
⚫ Transmission: the number of bits sent
simultaneously
⚫ Synchronization between the transmitter
and receiver
Simplex
⚫ A simplex connection is a connection in which
the data flows in only one direction, from the
transmitter to the receiver. This type of
connection is useful if the data do not need to
flow in both directions
⚫ for example, from your computer to the printer or from
the mouse to your computer.
⚫ There is no mechanism in for information to be
transmitted back from receiver to sender.
⚫ The entire capacity of the channel is used to
send data in one direction.
Half Duplex
⚫ A half-duplex connection (sometimes called
an alternating connection or semi-duplex) is a
connection in which the data flows in one
direction or the other, but not both at the same
time.
⚫ for example walkie talkie
⚫ With this type of connection, each end of the
connection transmits in turn.
⚫ This type of connection makes it possible to
have bidirectional communications using the
full capacity of the line.
Full Duplex
⚫ A full-duplex connection is a connection in
which the data flow in both directions
simultaneously.
⚫ For example communication between two
interconnected computers, your mobile phones
⚫ Each end of the line can thus transmit and
receive at the same time, which means that the
bandwidth is divided in two for each direction
of data transmission if the same transmission
medium is used for both directions of
transmission.
